_Section IV - Gold Performance Acknowledgments_

The Gold Performance Acknowledgment (GPA) system acknowledges districts and campuses for high performance on indicators other than those used to determined accountability ratings. These indicators are in statute (Texas Education Code) or determined by the Commissioner of Education. Acknowledgment is given for exceptional performance on:

Acknowledgment Categories

Table 7: Gold Performance Acknowledgment Standards for 2004

Indicator Description Standard Year Evaluated
Advanced Course Completion Percent of 9th-12th graders completing and receiving credit for at least one Advanced Course 25.0% or more* 2002-03

AP / IB Results

Percent of 11th and 12th graders taking at least one AP or IB examination AND

15.0% or more AND

 2002-03

Percent of 11th and 12th grade examinees scoring at or above the criterion on at least one examination (3 and above for AP; 4 and above for IB)

50.0% or more*

Attendance Rate

Attendance Rate for students in grades 1-12, the total number of days present divided by the total number of days in membership.
  • District: 96.0%
  • Multi-Level: 96.0%
  • High School: 95.0%
  • Middle/Jr High: 96.0%
  • Elementary: 97.0%

2002-03

Commended Performance: Reading/ELA

Percent of examinees scoring at or above the commended performance standard

20% or more**

Spring 2004

Commended Performance: Mathematics

Percent of examinees scoring at or above the commended performance standard

20% or more**

Spring 2004

Commended Performance: Writing

Percent of examinees scoring at or above the commended performance standard

20% or more**

Spring 2004

Commended Performance: Science

Percent of examinees scoring at or above the commended performance standard

20% or more**

Spring 2004

Commended Performance: Social Studies

Percent of examinees scoring at or above the commended performance standard

20% or more**

Spring 2004

Recommended High School Program/DAP

Percent of graduates meeting or exceeding requirements for the RHSP/Distinguished Achievement Program

50.0% or more**

Class of 2003

SAT/ACT Results

Percent of graduates taking either the SAT or ACT AND

At least 70.0% of graduates AND

Class of 2003

Percent of examinees scoring at or above the criterion score (SAT 1110; ACT Composite 24)

40.0% or more at or above criterion*

TAAS / TASP Equivalency

Percent of graduates meeting/exceeding the TAAS/TASP equivalency standards:

  • Reading TLI >= X-81
  • Mathematics TLI >= X-77
  • Writing scale score >= 1540

80.0% or more**

Class of 2003

* Indicator evaluates performance for All Students & the following student groups: African American, Hispanic, and White. Economically Disadvantaged status is not available from the testing results.

** Indicator evaluates performance for All Students & the following student groups: African American, Hispanic, White, and Economically Disadvantaged.

All Gold Performance Acknowledgment indicators for 2004 are available at the district and campus level, depending on grades served.

Acknowledgment Indicators:

Advanced Course Completion

This indicator is based on a count of students who complete and receive credit for at least one advanced course in grades 9-12. Advanced courses include dual enrollment courses. Dual enrollment courses are those for which a student gets both high school and college credit.

Who is eligible: Districts and campuses with grades 9, 10, 11 and/or 12 that have a rating of Academically Acceptable or higher.

Standard: For acknowledgment on this indicator, 25.0% of the 2002-03 students in grades 9 through 12 must receive credit for at least one advanced academic course.

Student Groups: Performance is evaluated for All Students and the following student groups: African American, Hispanic, White, and Economically Disadvantaged.

Methodology:

number of students in grades 9 through 12
who received credit for at least one advanced academic course
number of students in grades 9 through 12 who received credit for at least one course

Minimum Size Requirements: All Students results are always evaluated, regardless of the number of students. Student groups are evaluated, depending on their size:

Year of Data: 2002-03

Data Source: PEIMS submission 3 (June 2003)

Other information:

Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate Examination Results

This refers to the results of the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) examinations and the International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations taken by Texas public school students in a given school year. High school students may take these examinations, ideally upon completion of AP or IB courses, and may receive advanced placement or credit, or both, upon entering college. Generally, colleges will award credit or advanced placement for scores of 3, 4, or 5 on AP examinations and scores of 4, 5, 6, or 7 on IB examinations. Requirements vary by college and by subject tested.

Who is eligible: Districts and campuses with grades 11 and/or 12 that have a rating of Academically Acceptable or higher.

Standard: For acknowledgment on this indicator, the campus or district must meet both a participation and a performance standard. It must:

Student Groups: Performance is evaluated for All Students and the following student groups: African American, Hispanic, and White.

Methodology:

number of 11th and 12th graders taking at least one AP or IB examination
total non-special education students enrolled in 11th and 12th grades

and

performance:

number of 11th and 12th graders with at least one score at or above the criterion score
number of 11th and 12th graders with at least one AP or IB examination

Minimum Size Requirements: All Students results are always evaluated, regardless of the number of test takers or number of students enrolled in the 11th and 12th grades. To be included in the evaluation for GPA, a student group must have:

Year of Data: 2002-03 school year

Data Source: Educational Testing Service, a College Board contractor; The International Baccalaureate Organization; and PEIMS submission 1 (October 2002)

Other information:

Attendance Rate

Attendance rates are based on student attendance for the entire school year for students in grades 1-12.

Who is eligible: Districts and campuses whose grade span is within grades 1-12 and have a rating of Academically Acceptable or higher.

Standard: (Variable)

Student Groups: Performance is evaluated for All Students and the following student groups: African American, Hispanic, White, and Economically Disadvantaged.

Methodology:

total number of days students in grades 1-12 were present in 2002-03
total number of days students in grades 1-12 were in membership in 2002-03

Minimum Size Requirements: For attendance, the minimum size is based on total days in membership rather than individual student counts. Student groups may or may not be evaluated, depending on their size:

Year of Data: 2002-03

Data Source: PEIMS submission 3 (June 2003)

Other information:

Commended Performance: Reading/ELA

TAKS Commended Performance is the highest performance level set by the State Board of Education on the TAKS. Students who achieve Commended Performance have performed at a level that is considerably above the state passing standard and have shown a thorough understanding of the knowledge and skills at the grade level tested.

Who is eligible: Districts and campuses that test students on TAKS reading (grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, & 9) or English language arts (grades 10 & 11) and have a rating of Academically Acceptable or higher.

Standard: For acknowledgment on this indicator, the campus or district must have 20% or more of its examinees scoring at or above the Commended Performance standard.

Student Groups: Performance is evaluated for All Students and the following student groups: African American, Hispanic, White, and Economically Disadvantaged.

Methodology:

number of test takers achieving Commended Performance on reading or ELA
total number test takers in reading or ELA

Minimum Size Requirements: All Students results are always evaluated, regardless of the number of test takers. Student groups may or may not be evaluated, depending on their size:

Year of Data: 2004 (Spring TAKS Administration)

Data Source: Pearson Educational Measurement

Other information:

Commended Performance: Mathematics

TAKS Commended Performance is the highest performance level set by the State Board of Education on the TAKS. Students who achieve Commended Performance have performed at a level that is considerably above the state passing standard and have shown a thorough understanding of the knowledge and skills at the grade level tested.

Who is eligible: Districts and campuses that test students on TAKS mathematics (grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 & 11) and have a rating of Academically Acceptable or higher.

Standard: For acknowledgment on this indicator, the campus or district must have 20% or more of its examinees scoring at or above the Commended Performance standard.

Student Groups: Performance is evaluated for All Students and the following student groups: African American, Hispanic, White, and Economically Disadvantaged.

Methodology:

number of test takers achieving Commended Performance on mathematics
total number test takers in mathematics

Minimum Size Requirements: All Students results are always evaluated, regardless of the number of test takers. Student groups may or may not be evaluated, depending on their size:

Year of Data: 2004 (Spring TAKS Administration)

Data Source: Pearson Educational Measurement

Other information:

Commended Performance: Writing

TAKS Commended Performance is the highest performance level set by the State Board of Education on the TAKS. Students who achieve Commended Performance have performed at a level that is considerably above the state passing standard and have shown a thorough understanding of the knowledge and skills at the grade level tested.

Who is eligible: Districts and campuses that test students on TAKS writing (grades 4 & 7) and have a rating of Academically Acceptable or higher.

Standard: For acknowledgment on this indicator, the campus or district must have 20% or more of its examinees scoring at or above the Commended Performance standard.

Student Groups: Performance is evaluated for All Students and the following student groups: African American, Hispanic, White, and Economically Disadvantaged.

Methodology:

number of test takers achieving Commended Performance on writing
total number test takers in writing

Minimum Size Requirements: All Students results are always evaluated, regardless of the number of test takers. Student groups may or may not be evaluated, depending on their size:

Year of Data: 2004 (Spring TAKS Administration)

Data Source: Pearson Educational Measurement

Other information:

Commended Performance: Science

TAKS Commended Performance is the highest performance level set by the State Board of Education on the TAKS. Students who achieve Commended Performance have performed at a level that is considerably above the state passing standard and have shown a thorough understanding of the knowledge and skills at the grade level tested.

Who is eligible: Districts and campuses that test students on TAKS science (grades 5, 10 & 11) and have a rating of Academically Acceptable or higher.

Standard: For acknowledgment on this indicator, the campus or district must have 20% or more of its examinees scoring at or above the Commended Performance standard.

Student Groups: Performance is evaluated for All Students and the following student groups: African American, Hispanic, White, and Economically Disadvantaged.

Methodology:

number of test takers achieving Commended Performance on science
total number test takers in science

Minimum Size Requirements: All Students results are always evaluated, regardless of the number of test takers. Student groups may or may not be evaluated, depending on their size:

Year of Data: 2004 (Spring TAKS Administration)

Data Source: Pearson Educational Measurement

Other information:

Commended Performance: Social Studies

TAKS Commended Performance is the highest performance level set by the State Board of Education on the TAKS. Students who achieve Commended Performance have performed at a level that is considerably above the state passing standard and have shown a thorough understanding of the knowledge and skills at the grade level tested.

Who is eligible: Districts and campuses that test students on TAKS social studies (grades 8, 10 & 11) and have a rating of Academically Acceptable or higher.

Standard: For acknowledgment on this indicator, the campus or district must have 20% or more of its examinees scoring at or above the Commended Performance standard.

Student Groups: Performance is evaluated for All Students and the following student groups: African American, Hispanic, White, and Economically Disadvantaged.

Methodology:

number of test takers achieving Commended Performance on social studies
total number test takers in social studies

Minimum Size Requirements: All Students results are always evaluated, regardless of the number of test takers. Student groups may or may not be evaluated, depending on their size:

Year of Data: 2004 (Spring TAKS Administration)

Data Source: Pearson Educational Measurement

Other information:

Recommended High School Program

This indicator shows the percent of graduates who were reported as having satisfied the course requirements for the Texas State Board of Education Recommended High School Program or Distinguished Achievement Program.

Who is eligible: Districts and campuses with graduates that have a rating of Academically Acceptable or higher.

Standard: For acknowledgment on this indicator, 50.0% of all 2003 graduates reported must meet or exceed the requirements for the Recommended High School Program or Distinguished Achievement Program.

Student Groups: Performance is evaluated for All Students and the following student groups: African American, Hispanic, White, and Economically Disadvantaged.

Methodology:

number of graduates reported with graduation codes for
Recommended High School Program or Distinguished Achievement Program
number of graduates

Minimum Size Requirements: All Students results are always evaluated, regardless of the number of graduates. Student groups may or may not be evaluated, depending on their size:

Year of Data: Class of 2003

Data Source: PEIMS submission 1 (October 2003)

Other information:

SAT/ACT Results

This indicator shows the performance and participation on two college admissions tests: the College Board's SAT and ACT, Inc.'s ACT Assessment.

Who is eligible: Districts and campuses with graduates that have a rating of Academically Acceptable or higher.

Standard: For acknowledgment on this indicator, the campus or district must meet both a participation and a performance standard. It must:

Student Groups: Performance is evaluated for All Students and the following student groups: African American, Hispanic, and White.

Methodology:

participation:

number of graduates taking either the SAT or the ACT
total non-special education graduates

and

performance:

number of examinees at or above the criterion score
number of graduates taking either the SAT or ACT

Minimum Size Requirements: All Students results are always evaluated, regardless of the number of test takers or graduates. To be included in the evaluation for GPA, a student group must have:

Year of Data: Class of 2003

Data Source: Educational Testing Service, a College Board contractor (SAT) and ACT, Inc. (ACT)

Other information:

TAAS/TASP Equivalency

This indicator shows the percent of graduates who performed well enough on the exit-level TAAS as first-time test-takers to have a 75.0% likelihood of passing the Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) test. The TASP was given to all students enrolled in publicly funded Texas institutions of higher learning until the fall of 2003. Students will continue to graduate under the TAAS graduation requirements through the class of 2004.

Who is eligible: Districts and campuses with graduates that have a rating of Academically Acceptable or higher.

Standard: For acknowledgment on this indicator, 80.0% of all 2003 first-time tested graduates must meet or exceed the TAAS/TASP equivalency standards.

Student Groups: Performance is evaluated for All Students and the following student groups: African American, Hispanic, White, and Economically Disadvantaged.

Methodology:

number of graduates meeting TAAS/TASP equivalency standards
for all subjects taken on their first TAAS exit-level administration
number of first-time tested graduates

 

Minimum Size Requirements: All Students results are always evaluated, regardless of the number of graduates. Student groups may or may not be evaluated, depending on their size:

Year of Data: Class of 2003 - includes TAAS performance of 10th graders (first-time test takers) in 2001, TAAS performance of 11th graders (first-time test takers) in 2002, and TAAS performance of 12th graders (first-time test takers) in 2003.

Data Source: TEA Student Assessment Division and PEIMS

Other information:

Notification of Acknowledgment

Notification of Gold Performance Acknowledgment will occur in December 2004 at the same time as the 2004 ratings update that follows the resolution of all appeals. (See Section IX - Calendar for more details.)

Notification consists of release of the GPA data tables detailing the data used to compute the GPA indicators and listing the acknowledgments achieved. GPA certificates will not be provided by TEA to districts for 2004. Sample GPA data tables are not available for inclusion in this document at the time of publication. GPA data tables that have been masked to protect student confidentiality will be posted to the agency website in December 2004.

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